In order to allow students to participate in the 2023 general elections, universities nationwide have been ordered to close by Nigeria’s regulating body for higher education, the National Universities Commission.

The NUC said that the direction was based on the directive of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in a letter sent to the vice chancellors of all universities and the directors of inter-university centers.

“As Vice-Chancellors of all Universities and Director/Chief Executive of Inter-University Centres are quite aware the 2023 General Elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday, March 11, 2023, for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.

“In view of the foregoing and concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of our respective institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adama Adamu has following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all Universities and Inter-University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between February 22 and March 14, 2023.

“Consequently, Vice-Chancellors and chief executives of inter-university centres, are by this Circular requested to shut down their respective Institutions from Wednesday 22nd February 2023 to Tuesday 14th March 2023.

“Please, accept the renewed assurances of the Executive Secretary ‘s highest regard for your understanding and unwavering cooperation”, the letter from the NUC read.

The PUNCH reports that there have been calls from the public for the closure of tertiary institutions to enable students to vote during the 2023 elections.

The data from the Independent National Electoral Commission reveals that over 26 million students are currently registered.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has announced its sponsorship of annual intervention projects at the nation’s top military university, the Nigeria Defence Academy, the Nigerian Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Kaduna State University. President Muhammadu Buhari, unveiled the projects on Tuesday.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, represented the President, who noted that the projects at NDA gulped over N685 million, AFIT over N604 million, KASU over N491 million, and Kaduna Polytechnic over N450 million for the 2020–2021 annual intervention and merged projects.

The inaugurated projects at NDA included a Computer Based Test hall, Faculty of Management and Military Science buildings while that of  AFIT, Department of Cyber Security,  Students’ Hostel of the 2020 Zonal Intervention, and Students’ Hostel of the 2021 Zonal Intervention. 

Also, at The Kaduna Polytechnic, some of the commission projects are the newly constructed Department of Railway Engineering, Classrooms for Chemical Engineering and High-Grade Oxygen Plant for Medicals.

In his remarks shortly after the launching, Senator Wamakko stressed the importance of education in the nation’s development, adding that inaugurating the projects, would in no small measure enhance teaching and learning in According to him, education forms an integral part of President Buhari’s administration agenda. 

He said, “Education as we all know, plays a critical role in the socio-economic development of nations, and therefore, the commissioning of these projects today would in no small measure further enhance teaching and learning and improvement of academic standards.

“I wish to reiterate that education forms an integral part of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s agenda, hence the Federal Government would continue to provide necessary support towards making our educational institutions globally competitive for the economic and technological development of the country.

“It is on record that through the support of the Federal Government, TETFund has performed exceptionally in the provision of physical infrastructure, support for academic staff training and development, book publication, ICT, Research and Development amongst others in public tertiary educational institutions across the country.

“I am delighted to note that the Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna and other public tertiary educational institutions in Kaduna State have not been exempted from these intervention efforts of TETFund.” 

Earlier, the NDA Commandant,  Major General  Ibrahim Yusuf said the institution had received over N8.2 billion in support from the TETFund in the last seven years.

He explained that about N6 billion of the money went into infrastructural development while N2.2 billion was spent on training, research and publication, library and ICT, among others.

He added that the NDA currently has nine ongoing TETFund projects from the merged funds for 2019 to 2022 interventions.

Also speaking,  the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said the event marked the start of a major TETFund activity in 2023.

Echono, represented by Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Olatunde Olajide, said that in 2023, 162 iconic TETFund projects would be inaugurated in 54 tertiary institutions spread across 28 states.

According to him, the financing of the projects by TETFund is a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the provision of requisite physical infrastructure in the nation’s public tertiary institutions.

“It is our commitment at TETFund to ensure that value is obtained for funds allocated to the benefitting institutions to aid teaching, learning and research and by implication, make them globally competitive,” he said.

Echono then hailed the authorities of the NDA for successfully completing the three projects among other notable ones being executed in the Academy with TETFund support.

Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and principal attorney for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, has urged Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila to extend an apology to the union’s members.

The speaker was criticized by the human rights attorney for contradicting the settlement struck with ASUU.

Falana revealed in a text message to our correspondent that Gbajabiamila’s efforts to resolve issues relating to the government and ASUU strike were cut short by a member of the Federal Executive Council.

The speaker was accused of misleading the union by Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU. On Wednesday, though, a number of legislators spoke out in support of the speaker.

Falana however said, “It is public knowledge that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila intervened in the last strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.  Several meetings were held with the relevant stakeholders by the leadership of the House. While briefing the Nigerian people on the resolution of the crisis on October 10, 2022, the Speaker did categorically state as follows:

“We agreed with ASUU and the government on certain things which we took to Mr President. I have visited the president twice. The first time we made our recommendations with the government shifting some and ASUU shifting some. We spoke with Mr President. There was one sticking issue which was the issue of no work no pay. And the President did ask that he would suggest the recommendations and would have one more meeting which we did on Friday after the budget.

“That meeting was even better than the first one we had with him, and Mr President had agreed to settle things. I am not going to talk about that now, and that he would disclose whatever it is tomorrow,  Tuesday which is tomorrow.”

And when the Federal Government turned around to renege on the vexed issue of “no work, no pay” the Speaker assured the lecturers on October 24, 2022, of his ability to resolve the issues in dispute.

According to Gbajabiamila, “The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law and the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.

“Nonetheless, interventions have been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers. We look forward to a favourable consideration by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR who has manifested his desire to what is prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.”

“From the information at my disposal, the intervention of the House Leadership in resolving the crisis was sabotaged by a member of the Federal Executive Council.

“Having been embarrassed by the circumstance, the Speaker should have apologised to the ASUU and the Nigerian people instead of denying the agreement reached with ASUU and President Buhari on the decision of the Federal Government to pay for the period covered by the strike. The Agreement was based on the commitment of the lecturers to ensure that the 2021/2022 academic session was not cancelled.”

460 students from its host villages in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, who attend secondary schools and tertiary institutions have received scholarships from Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertilizer Limited.

The scholarship, which is a component of their corporate social responsibility, was given to 17 students in university institutions and 443 kids in secondary schools.

According to a statement from the companies, the scholarship has developed into an annual occasion designed to support the people’s scholastic progress and place them appropriately in the overall scheme of things in Lagos and Nigeria.

The scholarship was presented by the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group, Mr Devakumar Edwin, who described education as the passport to the future, adding that an investment in knowledge yields the greatest dividends for mankind.

Edwin described the scholarship as part of the company’s education intervention initiative for indigenous students of host communities impacted by its businesses.

He said, “In 2019, we executed a pilot of the scholarship programme where 51 secondary school students from our 15 host communities here in Ibeju Lekki were awarded. However, we could not hold the second edition in the year 2020 due to the incidence of COVID-19 and its associated effects not only on businesses but on every household.

“In 2021, 118 secondary school students and 19 tertiary institution students from our host communities were awarded the scholarship award and after a rigorous screening process this year, 443 secondary school students and 17 tertiary institution students have qualified for the scholarship award.”

He congratulated the beneficiaries and enjoined them to continue to work hard at their studies, strive to achieve excellence in all that they do, and never stop giving their best.

“Your achievements are a testament to your determination, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, and we are honoured to celebrate your success with you today,” he added.

Edwin further exhorted the recipients to seize the moment and pursue excellence at all times.

The Onilekki of Lekki Land, Oba Liasim Ogunbekun, the traditional monarch of Lekki, also spoke at the ceremony and thanked Dangote Group for the scholarship, which he called a gift to the locals.

The Federal Polytechnic in Ile-Oluji, Ondo State has made it unlawful for its staff to leave the country without the institution’s governing board’s consent.

Any of the institution’s staff who disobeyed the directive would face severe punishment, it was declared.

At the institution’s Christmas Carol and Nine Lessons service, which was conducted on the institution’s campus, the polytechnic’s rector, prof. Emmanuel Fasakin, revealed this.

He said, “It is always my desire that we identify some members of staff who contributed exceptionally to the development of this institution in this course of the year, but some logistic hitches will not make that possible. Even if we will not be bringing individuals out to receive awards this year, I want you to know that I appreciate the efforts being made by individuals.

“Of particular interest to me are individuals who have decided not to join the ‘japa’ syndrome, especially in this dispensation when it has become the rave for people to run away from Nigeria. The droves of the people who ‘japa’ from the country fail to reflect on what will become of our dear country if everyone bails out because of the challenges we face. The country will be ruined completely.

“Well, I do not gloss over the myriad of challenges Nigeria is facing presently, but the situation calls for all well-meaning nationals to jointly find solutions so that our fatherland can be better. It is in the light of this that management has decided to invoke the full weight of extant regulations on those who have misused the various opportunities we are providing our personnel to develop for their selfish interests.

“No longer shall we condone travelling out of the country without adhering to the laid down guidelines. Members of the polytechnic should take cognizance that overseas training can only be approved by the governing council. Whosoever travels out of the country under whatever guise without the relevant approval from Council will have questions to answer, and if they cannot answer those questions satisfactorily, they may be sanctioned.”

The don, however, commended the employees who contributed to the development of the institution since the beginning of the year.

“Management does not treat the consistent contributions of members of staff and students to the growth of this institution with disdain, however minute such contributions may seem. As far as I am concerned, God is the arbiter of all issues and the true rewarder of human contributions. He is the one who sees in the dark and rewards in the open. What the Management does through giving awards to individual members of staff during this annual event is to appreciate those whose efforts are visible as a token of encouraging all staffers to give their very best at their respective beats to the service of the Institution,” Fasakin lauded.

The Federal Government has concluded plans to train university lecturers for six months following to ensure the proper implementation of the new curriculum for institutions, GOGAN TV reports.

The training aims to make sure that the lecturers thoroughly adopt the strategies for the successful implementation of the new curriculum.

GOGAN TV had earlier reported that the government on Monday announced the inclusion of four new disciplines to be run alongside the 13 existing disciplines in the Nigerian University System.

The recently added fields include media and communications studies, allied health sciences, computing, and architecture.

The introduction of the new disciplines was based on the recommendation of a committee of the National Universities Commission.

The NUC in 2021 inaugurated a committee of experts drawn from various disciplines in Nigerian universities to create the new core curriculum and minimum academic standards for universities.

According to the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, the Federal Ministry of Education, through the commission, embarked on a radical re-engineering of curricula in Nigerian universities to meet global standards and international best practices aimed at preparing Nigerian graduates for relevance in the fourth-revolution world economy with the skills needed for the future.

According to Rasheed, the CCMAS, which was unveiled to the public on Monday, provides 70 percent of what should be taught along with the expected outcome, while the university will provide 30 percent based on its contextual peculiarities and characteristics.

In the program for the implementation of the new curriculum, it was noted that phased implementation will commence in January 2023.

“Capacity-building workshops to train university staff in the development and validation of 30% of the courses allowed each institution to reflect its uniqueness in terms of mission and contextual peculiarities (January–March 2023).

“Capacity building workshops to train staff of universities in techniques of effective implementation of the CCMAS is scheduled for April–June 2023,” it stated

This signifies a total of six months for staff training.

GOGAN TV